NASA rules out March launch for manned moon mission over technical issues

NASA chief Jared Isaacman says Artemis 2 – the first crewed flyby mission to the moon in more than 50 years – will not launch next month because of technical problems, Report informs via AFP.

Workers detected an issue with helium flow to the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will "take the March launch window out of consideration", Issacman said in a post on social media Saturday.

Solid helium flow is essential for purging the rocket's engines and pressurising its fuel tanks.

"I understand people are disappointed by this development. That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor," Isaacman said.

NASA's next opportunity for the launch would be at the beginning or end of April.